LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic online) - Republican amendments to the Senate's budget proposal requires both President Obama and Vice President Biden to get their medical care through the new exchanges created by the president's signature healthcare law.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) have both offered amendments to move Obama and Biden into the healthcare law's exchanges.

After the Affordable Care Act passed, the White House said Obama would enroll in an exchange once the time came in 2014. Collins and Ayotte's amendments require the president, vice president and Cabinet to be beholden to the same plan as the American people.

Lawmakers and most of their staff members already have to purchase coverage through an exchange, thanks to a provision Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) added to the healthcare law.

However, the White House and its staff aren't covered by that provision. Some congressional leadership staffers also aren't affected, and can remain in the healthcare exchange for federal employees.

All the budget amendments remain messaging documents - as is the budget itself. There are also many proposals to repeal all, or part of the Affordable Care Act.

Dozens of amendments have already been filed, including proposals to repeal the healthcare law and some key provisions, including the individual mandate and some of its taxes.

An amendment from Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) would prohibit the use of federal money to advertise the law's new benefits. This would cut off a publicity campaign that will be essential to making sure people actually enroll in the new benefits available to them.

Other GOP amendments would delay the law's implementation and change its definition of a "part-time" employee.

There's one bipartisan proposal in the mix - amendments to repeal the healthcare law's medical device tax. Essentially, none of these proposals would take effect even if the House and Senate were to agree on the underlying budget.

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